<p>no 4 days for me to send the laptop to tjhier repair sho and then get it back on free shipping. i am one of those gys with the minimum warranty</p>
<p>ibm warranty is mimimum too, but they come to you that quick. Oh well who wants to argue for dell now?</p>
<p>dell is crap. 2who is arguing with tht. i mean no proper cooling system. crappy plastic parts. its jus tht they r cheap and tht makes them better looking to ppl who cant afford a 3k gaming laptop</p>
<p>Just make sure you apply for the student discount before you get your laptop. Ohhh... and get a USB drive!</p>
<p>IBM can give you next day on-site service for no more than dell wants for their crappy mail in support (I bet they want you to pay shipping too).</p>
<p>Also, IBM hasnt sold out to any single vendor (While dell is a straight up intel and windows shop even on servers). IBM as a company will provide all kinds of processors (even ones they make themselves) as well as your choice of operating systems. Maybe if dell was willing to support equal and better options they would have a better product to offer.</p>
<p>Would you guys suggest that I get a custom made laptop? My mom says she knows someone who builds computers, and that I merely need to give him the wanted specs.</p>
<p>Or should I buy a brand name?</p>
<p>I feel safer buying the one with a brand since I know who I can turn to in case it screws up. But then it's just my opinion...</p>
<p>When people are complaining about the "plastic" Dells, they are usually referring to the Inspiron lineup. You cannot compare the consumer Dell line against the business IBM lineup. The Dell Inspirons are meant to compete with the cheap HP, Gateway, and Toshiba Satellite you see at Best Buy. In order to compare apples to apples, you have to compare the Thinkpads with the Dell Latitude line. The Dell Latitude line has a metal chassis, magnessium lid, and a solid keyboard. It also comes with Dell business support, which is also based in the US.</p>
<p>The standard Lenovo (IBM) warranty only includes mail-in (EasyServ) and carry in service; you need to upgrade if you want onsite service. But, Lenovo doesn't offer the Onsite ServicePac as a separate package. That means you have to buy IBM Thinkpad Protection accidential coverage to go with it (something that I would highly recommend anyway). Furthermore, it is not available in New York and not available in Florida or California for consumer accounts.</p>
<p>ottothecow, you said "IBM can give you next day on-site service for no more than dell wants for their crappy mail in support (I bet they want you to pay shipping too)." That is a flat out lie. First of all, even on the cheapest Dell warranty, Dell pays for the shipping in both directions. Secondly, adding onsite service to a Dell cost just $99 on their Latitude line (their business lineup, as the Thinkpads also target businesses). Accidental coverage plus onsite coverage cost just $248 for the Dell compared to $279 for the Thinkpad (that is assuming you don't live in CA, FL, or NY, in which case the coverage isn't available.)</p>
<p>Dell also offers Red Hat Linux on its servers, it isn't just Microsoft. However, it is true that Dell is an Intel-only vendor. But that is a good thing, since Intel offers them lower prices compared to other vendors. Corporate customers want a processor that they can trust, and usually the cost is secondary. The mainframes that IBM makes are being replaced by the commodity servers that Dell makes. Out with the old and in with the in.</p>
<p>The minimum IBM warranty takes about 3-5 days in my own personal experience. That is because it takes a day or two to send it in, about a day or two to repair, and about a day to return.</p>
<p>At my parent's work where they have loads of Dells, HPs, and IBMs; they all require about the same number of repairs. No one brand statistically requires more or less repairs.</p>
<p>That goes against what people consistantly state in other threads (including people who work in campus support). IBM's see much fewer service calls than anything else.</p>
<p>As to targeting business, the thinkpads dont specificaly target business. There are some models that are more business oriented but they focus more on making a great product. I agree that yes, if you must buy a dell, get a latitude model too but they are not without their design flaws and crappy plastic cosmetic pieces. </p>
<p>As to being an intel only shop (and red hat on their top end servers doesnt count when they dont even include a "no-os" option on their low end stuff) is a load of crap. Corporate customers can depend on AMD. Amd makes good chips at good prices. The opterons are much better than the xeons and cost much less.</p>
<p>The IBM mainframes are being replaced (very slowly though...there are still plenty of them still running and will be for a long time) but not neccesarily by dell. Many of the IBM customers stick with IBM when they switch technologies. With IBM, you get Intel, AMD, and even ppc (read G5 without the branding) systems all under the same support contract. Their systems on that level are also more solid than dells but you pay for them.</p>
<p>I think that you are failing to notice that Dell sells a lot more computers than just about everyone else. Even if they had a slightly lower failure percentage, you would see more service calls simply because there are more of the units in service.</p>
<p>Thinkpads focus on business users, not even IBM or Lenovo will deny that. Heck, they don't even offer extended warranty packages for consumers! It doesn't get much more blatant than that.</p>
<p>And Dell does offer Red Hat Linux on their low end lineup. I just checked their small business site and that is an option. And they do offer the no operating system on the low end servers. I just purchased on a few weeks ago and it is working nicely. Check your facts before you post, since you are spreading a lot of false information.</p>
<p>I agree that AMD makes some good processors, but Intel has had a longer history of making reliable computers. There have been many occasions where Dell has said that if the customer wants them, they will produce computers using AMD processors. But look at IBM, they only use the Opteron processors on their lower end xServe systems. The more expensive systems still use the Xeon processors.</p>
<p>Unlike IBM, Dell is first and foremost a hardware company. They assemble hardware and support it. And they are able to do it so efficiently that they can still do work in the United States and compete with oversea vendors and assembly.</p>
<p>IBM is a service company, they rely on selling services to business, not hardware. That is one reason that they sold their Thinkpad line to Lenovo. They sell servers because they use them to sell services. I am sure that you have heard about the "on-demand" advertising campaign by IBM. They install servers with excess capability that you can unlock by paying for it as a service.</p>
<p>Mainframes are yesterday's technology. A lot of them are being replaced with commodity systems simply because they are cheaper. Some IBM customers stay with IBM because IBM offers the services to move them over. They would need a larger IT staff if they wanted to switch. I still know of AS/400 systems in service, but they are definitely going out with clustered systems of inexpensive systems. Dell has been aggressively competing for the replacement business, and that is one of the reasons why they are one of the largest computer makers.</p>
<p>I know of a few people that visited a Dell factory and they say that it is definitely the model of efficiency. Tables are redesigned to shave off a few seconds off the assembly time and the inventory is managed like no other company. Heck, they have been stealing marketshare from Lenovo in China. That really shows how efficient they are.</p>
<p>It doesnt change the fact that they make some **** poor laptops (and when people talk about more dells than IBM's coming in for repair, those numbers do deal with the fact that there are more dells in existance). </p>
<p>This thread is about the best laptop and if you want the best, its going to be from IBM or Apple. Dell cuts every corner they can and if thats what you want, fine, but you arent getting the best.</p>
<p>Hmm... if you want bar none the best, most reliable, and most durable, you should be looking at an Itronix. They make laptops that are truely drop resistant, resist freezing temperatures, and are literally bulletproof.</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of using one recently, and you really have to try to break it. You even might be able to run it over with a car and it might still be fine.</p>
<p>Heck, it has a built in heater for freezing conditions and some models are really waterproof. If I had the money to buy one (they run about $4500), I would just to be different. But the law of diminishing returns applies...</p>
<p>no, those would be the most durable laptops (along with the toughbooks). They are not built with use in mind but with surviving being hit by a semi being the primary goal.</p>
<p>IBM simply makes the best PC laptops (though I think the powerbooks are better overall) but you pay a premium for them.</p>
<p>Could someone explain about Intel and how it relates to laptops?</p>
<p>IBM doesn't make the Thinkpads, that division has been turned over to Lenovo. Go to Lenovo's website and you will see that the old IBM site has been rebranded.</p>
<p>I always equated the best as being the most reliable, feature-packed, and durable product. Itronix is definitely reliable and durable, plus you can get a lot of modules like GPS that aren't available with the Thinkpad. And who needs the Thinklight when you can get a lighted keyboard or a glow in the dark keyboard :)</p>
<p>Mac OSX doesn't have the compatibility that Microsoft Windows XP has. Sure, but have a lot of programs, but a lot of programs available on Windows is not available on the Mac. For that reason alone, fewer people will consider the Mac.</p>
<p>Too bad we don't get Samsung laptops here (due to a deal with Dell), because they too make some really nice ones. A neighbor of mine got a Samsung X50 recently and I just can't get my eyes off of it. Very slim form factor with a 15.4 bright wide aspect display, 2 ghz processor, fingerprint reader, DVD writer, ATI X600 128 mb, and only ~5 pounds. It cost a lot though, enough to make the Thinkpads look reasonable, but that was because she bought it overseas.</p>
<p>Intel makes the processors for most laptop computers. Most of the notebooks that you will see today, with the exception of the really large desktop replacements, use the Pentium M processor (please don't get it confused with the old Pentium 4M). The Pentium M processor runs at a slower clock speed than the Pentium 4, but it completes more processes in one cycle, thereby making it faster while conserving power.</p>
<p>When a Pentium M processor is combined with an Intel chipset and an Intel wireless card, it gets the "Centrino" label. There is no such thing as a Centrino processor. The Centrino trademark simply means that the computer has Pentium M processor, Intel chipset, and Intel wireless card. It is important that you get a computer with a Pentium M processor since these computers get better battery life. Battery life is important when you use your computer away from an outlet.</p>
<p>Great! Thanks IAm.
So can you have an apple computer that has an Intel chipset?</p>
<p>wht if money is not an issue whts the best laptop i can get im doin engineering so it needs to be super fast ( i dont really care about clock speed ) , high ram ( 1 GB + ) and a huge hard drive</p>
<p>Apple laptops do not use and cannot use Intel processors or chipset. Macs use PowerPC processors.</p>